Names & Faces

Michael J.B. Allen, distinguished professor of English, was named a Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar for 2007-2008. The Phi Beta Kappa Society gives students the opportunity to meet distinguished visiting scholars selected from among the top intellectuals in the country. Allen has also been honored by Italy with the decoration "Commendatore dell'Ordine della Stella" (Commander of the Order of Italian Solidarity) for his contributions to Italian studies.

Judea Pearl, professor of computer science at the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, will be presented with the 2008 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Computer & Cognitive Science by the Franklin Institute. He is being honored for creating the first general algorithms for computing and reasoning with uncertain evidence, allowing computers to uncover associations and causal connections hidden within millions of observations.

Desmond J. Smith, associate professor of molecular and medical pharmacology at the Geffen School of Medicine, has been named by Scientific American magazine as one of the "Scientific American 50." The publication's sixth annual list, which appeared in the January 2008 issue, recognizes research, business and policy contributions worldwide to science and technology from the past year that have exceptional potential to improve society.

Christel Uittenbogaart, professor of pediatrics and microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics at the Geffen School of Medicine, was named one of five newly appointed members to the National Advisory Allergy and Infectious Diseases Council.

The council is the principal advisory body for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and provides recommendations on the conduct and support of research, including training young scientists.